Bag latch and lock



(No Model.) S

C.- A. JOHNSON.

BAG LATCH AND LOCK.

No. 578,880. Patented Mar. 16 1,897.

dun r I- Attorney.

WITNESSES:

CHARLES A. JOHNSON, OF NEV BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

BAG LATCH AND LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,880, dated March 16, 1897.

Serial No. 585,538. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bag Latches and Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a simple latch and lock device and actuating-knobs therefor, together with a number of false knobs for misleading and hindering attempts of unauthorized persons to open the bag, as hereinafter described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an inside view of one of the jaws of a bag-frame, showing the spring-latch and locking device, the other jaw being sectioned at the extremities where the two jaws are pivoted together and the catch also being sectioned. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a bag provided with my improved latch and lock, and Fig. 3 is a top view with part of the flange of the jaw which covers the lock broken out.

A and Z) represent a pair of jaws such as usually form part of a hand-bag c, said jaws being pivoted together at d. e is aframe piece for a stay to an intermediate web dividing the bag for two pockets. The jaw A has a top flange f for a cover to the lock and against which the jaw 12 closes.

Under the cover-flange f is a spring-latch g, riveted to it at h, and being notched ate and otherwise adapted to automatically engage a bevel-ended hook-catchj, attached to jaw b, when the two jaws are closed together. To the free end of this jaw a knob Z exterior to jaw A is connected through a slot m in said jaw suitably to lift the latch 9 out of the hook-catch when it is desired to unfasten the jaws for opening the bag.

Fronting the free end of the spring-latch is a slide-bolt n for locking the latch. It has a projection o, reaching over said end when thrust forward, so as to prevent the latch from being raised out of the catch by knob Z, and is connected through a slot 19 in jaw A with the knob q for actuating it, and behind said bolt is a button .9, attached to knob 25, for being actuated by said knob.

It will be seen that when the projecting point of the button is set against the end of the slide-bolt the latter is secured in the position for locking the latch.

It will be seen in Fig. 3 that when the point of the button sis turned behind the end of the slide-bolt it bears against the inside of jaw A for support to resist back movement of the slide-bolt, and is thereby effectually secured without the expense of any special provision for so supporting it.

Together with the movable knobs Z, q, and t for actuating the different parts of the look I have added six other false knobs u of like appearance to mislead and obstruct unauthorized persons in attempting to open the lock, which, together with the arrangement whereby knob l must be shifted vertically while knob q is to be moved laterally and knob t is to be turned, and whereof there is no visible or other indication, afiords in a simple way ample safety for bags, satohels, and the like articles.

I claim" 1. The combination with the jaw A having the covenflange f, and the jaw b, pivoted to said jaw A, and having the hook-catch j, of the spring-latch g secured to the cover-flange f, the knob Z exterior to jaw A and connected to the free end of the spring-latch through the slot m ranging transversely of the jaw; the looking slide-bolt 02., connected with the laterally-sliding knob q, exterior to said jaw A, and the locking-button connected through the cover-flange to the pivoted knob t, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the jaw A having the cover-flange f, and the jaw b pivoted to said jaw A, and having the hook-catch j, of the spring-latch g secured to the cover-flange f, the knob Z exterior to jaw A and connected to the free end of the spring-latch through the slot m ranging transversely of the jaw; the locking slide-bolt a connected with the laterally-sliding knob q, exterior to said jaw A, the locking-button connected through the coverflange to the pivoted knob 15, and the false knob u of like character and apparently of like relation to said interior movable parts of the look as the knobs connected with the said movable parts, substantially as described.

Signed at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, this 29th day of February, A. D. 1896.

CHARLES A. JOHNSON.

Witnesses W. H. Foennrv, W. E. LATHAM. 

